Automatic application of teat cups

ABSTRACT

This invention improves milking units for cattle in order to give better milking results and to facilitate application of the milking unit to the udder of the animal. To this end the teat cups have an upwardly widening upper part, so that the teat cups also engage the lower part of the udder right above and around each teat. Moreover, the teat cups are supported, preferably flexibly, in a common supporting structure so as to by substantially horizontally movable therein, to be easily adjusted to the relative positions of the teats in a particular animal. The teat cups may have operating means to move them to the correct positions under control of means comprising a memory for storing data about such positions for a particular animal and a processor programmed so as to move the cups into the correct positions.

This invention relates to a device for milking cattle and to a methodfor operating such a device.

In known milking devices for cows as usual at present, a milking devicecomprises a claw piece, to which four teat cups are connected, each oneby a separate hose. Such devices require hand engagement of eachseparate cup to connect it to the teats, often in a small space for thepersonnel and without a good view of the position of the teats. It hasbeen tried to improve this, e.g., as shown in U.S. Pat. No. 4,010,714,by supporting the teat cups in adjusted mutual positions to a supportingstructure movable upwardly to engage the teats, or, as shown in Germanpublished application No. 2.849.227, by providing the teat cups withguiding discs guiding the teats into the cups by sideways movements. Italso known to have one cup for all the teats, with a flexible linerinside the cup so shaped as to take up all the teats in preformeddepressions.

The present invention aims at improving such known milking devices as tothe facilitation of the engaging of the cups with the teats and also asto the milking effect itself.

To this end a device for milking cattle is according to the inventionfirst of all characterized in that the milking unit comprises a numberof teat cups supported individually as separate bodies by a supportingstructure movable in the device so as to be moved upwardly forengagement with the teats, said teat cups widening upwardly in theirupper parts so as to be adapted to engage and surround the teats withtheir lower narrower parts and to engage and surround the lower part ofthe udder above each teat during milking.

This makes it easy to apply the cups to the teats by upward movement ofthe supporting structure, as the teats will be taken up easily by thewide top parts of the cups and be guided therein to the correct positionand moreover, the engagement of the lower part of the udder by the widerparts of the cups appears to give a better milking effect.

Preferably, the cups underly a resilient upward pressure by thesupporting structure, which appears to improve the milking effect.

The invention allows easy adjustment of the relative positions of theteat cups with respect to the supporting structure to adapt thepositions of the cups to a particular animal. A further object of theinvention is the further automation of milking, in particular in theengagement of the cups with the udder and teats as adapted to thespecial form of the cups according to the invention. In this respect theinvention also proposes a new method of operating the milking deviceaccording to the invention, by programming a processor with thecoordinates for the positions of the teat cups in a particular way to bedescribed.

Moreover, the invention proposes a further improved embodiment of thecups and of the supporting structure and the further parts of the devicein view of the objects given above.

It is possible to apply the invention in all existing types of stables,in milking parlours or cubicle barns, in single milking boxes or stoolsor in rows thereof, if desired in combination with automatic food orconcentrates supply, cleaning and other devices for pre- oraftertreatment of the animals and of the milking device itself. Thedevice may have a usual pulsating and suction system, collecting meansfor the milk etc. The invention will now be explained in more detailwith reference to the enclosed drawings.

Therein:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a milking box for cows according to theinvention;

FIG. 2 is a side view of part of the supporting structure somewhatdiagrammatically and on a larger scale;

FIG. 3 is a top view of the frame carrying the teatcups;

FIG. 4 is a view from below of one teatcup with its suspension;

FIG. 5 is a horizontal view of the parts of FIG. 4;

FIG. 6 is a diagrammatic view of operating means for a sliding parttaking up a teatcup; and

FIG. 7 is a vertical section through a teatcup in a preferred embodimentof the invention.

FIG. 1 shows a milking box consisting of beams forming an open frame,being substantially open at the backside as seen in this Figure, so thatthe cows can enter the box from that backside. If desired the box mayhave a slidable or pivotable beam, door or grate for closing saidopening at will.

In FIG. 1 the milking unit is supported from the lefthand side. If it isdesired to have the cow enter the box from that side, this milking unitwith its supporting structure may be mounted on a door, which ispivotally mounted and supported by one of the vertical beams of theframe. The entry opening for the animal may also serve as an exitopening, but it is also possible to have the exit opening e.g. at thefront end which is the right end in FIG. 1, where there may be a doorwhich on pivoting takes with it the usual feed trough.

In FIG. 1, for the sake of clarity, part of the front beams and tubeshas been omitted and the same is true for part of the milkhoses,vacuumhoses, operating means, bowdencables, electric wires, detectionmeans, etc.

The bottom of the box has a central longitudinal ridge 2 with sidessloping downwardly and consisting of or covered or coated with a smoothmaterial, so that the cow will put its hindlegs to both sides thereof toallow enough space between those legs to allow engagement of the milkingunit from behind in and through said space. Preferably, the two inclinedsides forming said ridge may be pivotable about their longitudinal lowerside, so that, after the cow has entered the box, these sides may bepivoted upwardly to the positions 2a shown by dotted lines, allowing themilking unit 20 to be described to move more closely along the floor andbetween these sides towards and away from the animal.

Horizontal beams 3 support a supporting structure 4 for the milkingunit, said structure having rollers 5 for such movement, which is causedby hydraulic or pneumatic cylinders 6.

The supporting structure 4 carries plates or tubes 8 and 9 adapted toenter into pushing contact with the cow and intended to act as areference device. The tube 9 has such a winged shape that the positionof the cow in its longitudinal direction is fixed and that the cow isalso centered in the box in the transverse direction. These parts 8 and9 have such shapes and are positioned at such a height thay they pushonto those higher backparts of the animal, which are closest to itsbones, e.g. its tailbone, to avoid inaccuracies of positioning by tooeasily compressible muscleparts, which might spoil the accuratepositioning.

A tail guide 10 and a dung gutter 11 serve to avoid manure and urine tofall on movable parts of the box.

Vertically slidable beams 12 are guided with their upper parts in hollowvertical beams 7 and there may be tension springs, steel cables andcounterweights not shown to bias the beams upwardly into contact with anabutment in or on said beams 7.

A horizontal shaft 14 extends between the beams 12 and arms 15 arepivotally arranged thereon, said arms consisting of straight parts asshown or being U-shaped between shaft 14 and their ends at 21 ifdesired.

Between the left ends of the arms 15 there is a rod 16 connected to anoperating cylinder 17, of which the plunger rod is connected to a rod 18extending between the lower ends of the beams 12. These parts serve tosupport the milking unit and this is clarified by FIG. 2 showing that,when pneumatic cylinder 17 is extended, the plunger thereof pushes onrod 18 so that the cylinder moves to the left, moving rod 16 upwardly bypivoting around shaft 14 and thereby the long right ends of the arms 15move from the position shown in FIG. 2 to a lower position as in FIG. 1and much lower.

Separately from or in a combination with these movements the entiresupporting structure may move up and down by means of pneumatic cylinder19 causing sliding of the beams 12 into and out of the beams 7.

Cylinders 17 and 19 may of course take up other positions than shown anda more vertical position is preferred.

The milking unit is indicated by 20 and is supported at the ends of thelong parts of the supporting arms 15 in a pivoting connection at 21 topivot about a horizontal transverse axis. Pivoting about a longitudinalaxis is not shown but is also possible if desired, to give a universaljoint suspension.

The milking unit has a frame 22, supporting the teatcups. In thisembodiment this frame is embodied as a flat plate, e.g. of plasticsmaterial, with four wide holes. FIGS. 3, 4 and 5 show that above eachhole there are two substantially rectangular plates 23 and 24. Theplates 23 have an elongated hole as shown in dotted lines in FIG. 3 andrest on plate 22, there being guides not shown to guide the plates 23 intheir longitudinal movement on plate 22. The plates 24 are smaller, restslidably on plates 23 and can only move in the transverse direction,perpendicularly to the direction of movement of the plates 23. They areguided by guides not shown on plates 23. The teatcups 26 are carried bythe plates 24, there being springs or elastic straps 25 to suspend eachteatcup resiliently in its plate 24 as clearly shown in FIG. 5. Thisallows for both vertical, horizontal and tilting movements of eachteatcup in its plate 24.

Cylinders 27, hydraulic or pneumatic, supported by plate 22, are adaptedto move the plates 23 longitudinally of plate 22, carrying with them theplates 24 in such movement. There are four cylinders 27 allowingindividual movement of each plate 23. On each plate 23 there is acylinder 28 for moving the plates 24 transversely on their plates 23. Itis also possible to position the cylinders 27 and 28 at a distance fromplate 22, e.g. near rod 16, with movement transmitting linkages to theplates 23 and 24 by rods and levers, bowdencables, cables on rollers orthe like.

Anyhow it is important that the center of gravity of the milking unit asfar as suspended from the arms 15 has such a position that plate 22 willsubstantially maintain a horizontal position and will not tilt too much.

It may be desired to introduce means not shown to move the whole milkingunit 20 horizontally in longitudinal direction of the box with respectto the beams 12 and the parts 8 and 9 giving a reference position withrespect to the cow. This may easily be done, e.g. by giving arms 15telescoping parts with a hydraulic or pneumatic cylinder to lengthen orshorten them at will.

Instead of the plates 23, 24 as shown, there may be arms pivoting abouta vertical axis and each carrying a teatcup and having a single drivesupported by plate 22 or a similar part to swing each supporting arm tothe desired position.

The structure may be simplified taking into account that in most casesthere is sufficient symmetry between the two front teats and the twoback teats mutually with respect to a vertical longitudinal plane of theanimal and that the front teats are in the same transverse planeperpendicular thereto and the same is true for the back teats. Thismeans e.g. for a structure as shown in FIG. 3 that there need only betwo cylinders 27, one for the front teatcups and one for the two backteatcups, which means that there also need only be two plates 23.Moreover, the two front plates 24 may be connected by means such as afulcrum lever so that they move oppositely always to the same extent,e.g. by one cylinder 28 and the same is true for the back plates 24.

Cylinders 27 and 28 may in usual embodiment have measuring and clampingmeans allowing signalling of the position at each moment and lengtheningor shortening in steps or even stepless with locking in each stationaryposition.

The cylinders may also have a limited number of positions, even two orthree. There may be two positions with the cylinders fully in or fullyout, three positions with a central or neutral position etc. In FIG. 6it is shown that the neutral position may be taken up automatically byconnecting the rods of the cylinders 27, 28 not only to their plate orplates 23 or 24, but also to springs 29 tending to maintain the pistonrod in the neutral position. For more positions there may be controlledabutments 30, e.g. solenoid controlled and in FIG. 6 there are five suchabutments, of which the fourth from the left is out to limit movement ofthe concerning cylinder 27 or 28. This diagrammatically shown system mayof course be embodied in many different ways.

The teatcups 26 themselves may be embodied as shown in FIG. 7 and have ahard outer wall 31 of substantially hoppershape, made of e.g. hardplastic material or metal, with a thickened upper edge 32 and connectinglugs 33 to suspend them, e.g. to the springs 25 of FIGS. 4 and 5 or tohelical springs each fully surrounding a teatcup below the lugs 33 andconnected at its lower end with a sleeve surrounding the teatcup andsupported in e.g. the plate 24 or a supporting arm pivoting about avertical axis. The wall 31 has one or more, in this case two,connections 34 for the pulsating system so that alternately vacuum andatmospheric pressure may be admitted into the cup.

In the outer wall there is the elastic liner 35 as usual, fitting gastightly around the upper edge 32 of wall 31 and thickened as shown at36. This thickened edge may consist of massive or foamy elastic materialbut, as shown, it may be hollow and filled with a gas or a liquid. Theupper part of the liner 35 entering into contact with the lower part ofthe udder above the teat may if desired have a greater wall thickness soas to be more rigid than the lower part. At 37 it is indicated that theliner 35 may be connected to the inside of the wall 31 between its endsto form two chambers between the liner and the hard outer wall 31, oneabove and one below this connection 37. By the separate connections 34above and below this zone 37, pulsations may be applied thereto whichdiffer somewhat in phase so that the pulsations in the space above 37are somewhat ahead of those in the lower part, which gives a bettermilking result.

The top edge of the cup need not be a circle in one plane perpendicularto the vertical axis, but this edge may be higher e.g. at the outside ofthe udder and at the front or back and lower at the part near thelongitudinal center of the animal for a good adaptation to the shape ofthe udder. Sensors or other means near the top edge of the cup ormagnetically inductive coils in the top part of the cup or other meansmay be provided in order to have check whether the teat is engagedcorrectly, may give a warning signal if this is not the case and maystop the movement of application of the milking unit to the udder, causeit to move down again and repeat the upwardly engaging movement. Theremay also be liquid detectors in the lower part of the cups or in themilkhoses connected thereto giving signals about the flow of milktherethrough.

At the lower end of the cup this may have an electromagneticallyoperated valve 39, e.g. of sliding type, having a wide opening and beingoperated so as to open and close synchronously with the pulsations, sothat it is avoided that upward jets of milk hit the teats and causemastitis. Generally known means to detect and terminate the milkingperiod may be applied both to remove the milking unit and to close suchvalves.

Milkhose 40 also has preferably a wide and uniform passage and isconnected to the usual means such as a milking claw etc. and there ispreferably one indicator for milkflow per hose. This allows terminatingof the pulsations to a certain teatcup if the milk quantity per unittime therefrom sinks below a certain level, which measure is known assuch. It is then also possible to close valve 39. For so-calledthree-teat-cows control means may close the concerning valve 39 and stopthe pulsator to this cup, so that only three teats and udder parts aremilked.

After pretreatment of the cow, the engagement of the milking unit 20takes place in the following manner: a cow enters the box and isrecognized by a cow-identification system not shown and known as such,e.g. embodied by a code transmitter or magnetically readableidentification code element carried by the cow. The identification codeis transferred to a controller in which said code is associated withspecific coordinates relating to this particular cow whereafter aprocessor in said controller causes the operation of the cylinders 27and 28 to move the cups 26 into the desired positions.

The movable part 4 of the supporting structure is, with the milking unit20 in a low position, moved forwardly by the cylinders 6 until the parts8 and 9 (the reference device) push against the cow, the tail beingmoved sideways by tailguide 10. Tube 9 centers the cow in cooperationwith the raised part 2 in the center of the box. If this supportingstructure connot be moved further by cylinders 6, leakage valves andreduction valves enter in operation so that the cylinders 6 willmaintain some pressure on the cow but backward movements thereof willnot cause undesired rises in pressure. Together with the supportingstructure 4 the milking unit and its supporting parts have movedforwardly and the reference device, maintaining in contact under somepressure with the cow, thus forms a good basis for the use of thecoordinates of the teats determined with respect thereto. By thecentering of the cow by part 9 the same is true in transverse direction.

Thereupon cylinder 17 is shortened, so that the arms 15 are moved fromtheir low position into a high position. Almost simultaneously therewithcylinder 19 is elongated, so that the beams 12 and all the partssupported thereby move downwardly. The speed and amount of this downwardmovement are chosen so that the milking unit does not touch the floorbut is moved forwardly at a very short distance above the floor. In thisway the milking unit is brought to the position right below the udderwithout touching it. For low, so-called deep udders this is importantbecause it would be difficult for the milking unit to pass the udderwhen in a higher position. As stated, upturned parts 2 of the floor(position 2a) allow a very low path of the milking unit during thismovement.

Now cylinder 19 is shortened so that the milking unit is raised. It ispreferred to apply vacuum to the pulsation space in the teatcups so thatthe liner 35 is sucked against the hard outer wall 31 to take up theteats easily and allow them to sink deeply into the cups. After thismovement milking begins in known way by suction and pulsating pressures.Meanwhile the upward pressure of the milking unit against the udderremains to be exerted because cylinders 17 and 19 are operated so as tobe maintained under some pressure in the corresponding directions.Leakage and reduction valves take care of discharge of superfluous airand/or interrupting the supply of air if the pressure in the cylindersbecomes too high.

At the end of the milking, cylinder 17 is lengthened so that the longerparts of the arms 15 lower the milking unit, so that the teatcups aredischarged from the udder. If desired cylinder 19 may be lengthenedsimultaneously therewith. Before the milking unit 20 touches the floor,cylinder 19 is shortened again, so that the movement of the arms 15 maycontinue and the milking unit is lifted in time. Simultaneouslytherewith or immediately thereafter cylinders 6 are shortened, so thatpart 4 of the supporting structure with all the parts suspended thereonor connected thereto move backwards so that the starting position istaken up again.

If desired a cleaning system now enters into operation so that the nextcow can be connected to a milking unit which has meanwhile been cleaned.It is also possible to give an aftertreatment to the cow just milkedaccording to any known treatment.

The arms 15 may if desired exert a constant upward force additional tothe force exerted by cylinder 17 by weighing rod 16 e.g. bycounterweights.

By the several pivoting possibilities: arms 15 with the milking unit inlongitudinal direction, if desired also in the transverse direction (notshown), by pivoting about shaft 14 and by several adjustable resilientforces such as by the springs 25 on the teatcups, by cylinder 17 for thearms 15, if desired supplemented by counterweights, and by cylinder 19for the entire supporting structure, if desired supplemented by springsand counterweights, it is made possible to apply the milking unit in aflexible way and to keep it movable also during milking.

As other animals than cows suited for being milked by a device accordingto the invention, goats may be mentioned.

The invention is applicable in many types of milking parlours such asrotary parlours, herringbone parlours, abreast parlours etc.

By applying the invention it is possible to make the milking parloursuperfluous as a separate unit by positioning milking boxes as shown ina cattle stable, e.g. in a cubicle barn. In that case the combinationwith a programmed system for supplying food, fodder, concentrates etc.offers many advantages. One advantage thereof is that the same processormay be used for integrally controlling the supply of such food and themilking, which may also be combined with the registration of the milkquantity delivered. The several actions taking place according to theinvention may fully be controlled by the processor. In combination withthe known electronic cow identification system also used for theprogrammed supply of food and by the use of the necessary sensors etc.it is possible to have the milking process take place fullyautomatically.

The controller comprises a memory containing for each cow specificcoordinate values enabling the processor to operate the cylinders 27 and28 to bring the teatcups in the correct position. At each milking turn,preferably immediately after engaging the milking unit to the animal,the processor is switched to a monitoring status whereby the cylindersare enabled to move freely without being controlled by the processorduring a very short period so that the cups may be moved easily by theteats themselves. After reaching in this way the desired position of thecups to be used during milking, the coordinates of this desired positionwill be derived and stored by the processor in the memory. If desiredthese coordinates are treated arithmetically, e.g. to determine theaverage value of those coordinates from several milking operations. Thusduring the next milking turn or turns the cups may be positionedinitially in agreement with the stored coordinates, which positions areat least approximately correct for the concerning cow, so that theengagement takes place correctly. Thereafter the positions are thusautomatically corrected to take account of changes in the teat positiosdepending on the age of the animal and the stage in the lactationperiod. In fact this means that the milking unit itself operates as ameasuring apparatus for the positions of the teats. For a new animal itis possible to adjust the teatcups by hand before this procedure begins.It would also be possible to have a separate measuring device formeasuring the relative positions of the teats and to supply thecorresponding coordinates to the memory of the processor.

This processor may furthermore be programmed such that, based onadditional data stored in the memory or contained in the programme, theprocessor decides whether the concerning cow should be milked or notdepending on the requirements of the particular situation, lactationstage and quantity of milk to be expected.

It is moreover possible to have the cylinders 27 and 28 or other partsof the supporting structure move so as to give a searching movement ofthe teatcups for more easily taking up the teats, e.g. a linear to andfro movement, a circular movement, a vibrating or spiral movement etc.

The invention easily allows to milk the cows more than once per day,e.g. four or five times. The number of boxes per stable and the plan ofthe boxes is easily entirely adapted thereto. This has a favourableinfluence on the health of the udders, milkproduction and lifespan ofthe animal.

We claim:
 1. A device for milking cattle, including a milking unitcomprising:(a) a plurality of teat cups, each of said cups wideningupwardly in its upper part, said widening part comprising asubstantially rigid casing, adapted to be engaged with an udder duringmilking, each of said teat cups also including a lower, narrower partadapted to engage and surround a teat during milking; (b) a supportingstructure for said teat cups, said structure including means forindividually supporting each of said teat cups as a separate body, andmeans for moving said teat cups upwardly to a milking position forengagement with the teats; and (c) means exerting a resilient upwardpressure on the teat cups in the milking position, whereby the upperpart of each of said teat cups is engaged with an udder and the lowerpart of each of said teat cups is engaged with a teat.
 2. A deviceaccording to claim 1, in which the teat cups are supported by thesupporting structure so as to be substantially horizontally movable withrespect to each other.
 3. A device according to claim 2, comprisingoperating means for moving said teat cups substantially horizontallyinto a desired position and to keep them in said position.
 4. A deviceaccording to claim 3, in which the teat cups are supported by slidessupported in the supporting structure, the operating means for movingthe teat cups into a desired position engaging said slides.
 5. A deviceaccording to claim 4, said teat cups being supported in said supportingstructure by flexible resilient means keeping them in a predeterminedposition flexibly, i.e. while allowing adaptations of said position tothe position of the teats and udder by forces exerted thereby on thecups.
 6. A device according to claim 5, in which the teat cups aresupported by said resilient means so as to be movable both horizontallyand vertically with respect to said supporting structure.
 7. A deviceaccording to claim 4, in which the supporting structure supports twoslides for the same cup, one movable in one substantially horizontaldirection and the other moving in a substantially horizontal directiontransverse to said first-mentioned direction, one of said slides beingsupported by the other one so as to move therewith.
 8. A deviceaccording to claim 3, in which the operating means for moving the teatcups have means for combined mutually opposite movement of two teat cupsin about the same transverse plane of the animal with respect to thevertical longitudinal central plane of the animal.
 9. A device accordingto claim 1, including a flexible inner lining in the teat cups definingan inner wall and a space for the pulsating fluid necessary for milkingin the rigid outer casing of the cups, said inner lining also extendsover said upwardly widening part of the cups.
 10. A device according toclaim 9, in which the flexible inner lining of the teat cups is morerigid in the said widening part than in its teat engaging part.
 11. Adevice according to claim 9, in which the said lining forms two separatepulsation chambers in the teat cup, one chamber substantially in thewidening part and one in the teat engaging part.
 12. A device accordingto claim 11, in which the pulsating means are embodied and connected tosaid pulsation chambers in such a way, that the pulsations in thechamber in the widening part are earlier in phase than the pulsations inthe chamber in the teat engaging part.
 13. A device according to claim12, in which the teat cup at its upper wide end has a flexibly-elasticedge for engagement with the udder, said edge being thicker than theremainder of the cup.
 14. A device according to claim 13, in which saidthickened edge is formed by a hollow part filled with a fluid.
 15. Adevice according to claim 1, in which each teat cup has means toestablish a flow of milk from said cup.
 16. A device according to any ofthe preceding claims, in which each teat cup has a valve near its lowerend to interrupt the connection between its interior and the vacuum milkdischarge means.
 17. A device according to claim 1, in which the milkingunit is supported in the device so as to be movable horizontally in itsentirety in the longitudinal direction of the animal.
 18. A deviceaccording to claim 17, in which the milking unit is supported by arms inthe supporting structure through a horizontal axis, about which it isfreely pivotable.
 19. A device according to claim 18, having a fixedframe, means to move supporting means for the milking unit substantiallyvertically with respect to said frame, and a horizontal pivoting axis insaid supporting means, about which supporting arms are pivotable, whichcarry the milking unit.
 20. A device according to claim 17, in which thehorizontally movable means have means to contact the animal in the zoneof bone parts at its back to limit said horizontal movement by contactunder a certain pressure with the animal, said horizontally movablemeans having means to maintain such a pressure flexibly during milking.21. A device according to claim 20, in which the horizontally movablemeans also carry means to engage the sides of the back end of the animalto limit sideways movemetns thereof with respect to the axis of themilking unit in the longitudinal direction of the animal.
 22. A deviceaccording to claim 21, in which the horizontally movable means alsocarry a tail guide and a discharge for faeces and urine.
 23. A deviceaccording to claim 22, in which the device has a floor having a higherpart in the centre corresponding to the zone around the central line ofthe milking unit in the longitudinal direction of the animal and partslower than said higher part to both sides thereof, making it difficultor impossible for the animal to stand otherwise than with one back legto each side of said higher part, which comprises pivoting parts movablebetween the position to form said higher part as a substantially closedfloor surface and a more upstanding position inside and close to thehindlegs of the animal.